Device for holding lawn-mower cutters for sharpening.



Patentd Nov. 7, I899. s. E. LOUDEN. DEVICE FOR HOLDING LAWN MOWERGUTTERS FOR SHARPENING.

(Application filed July 29, 1899.)

2 sheets-sum (No Modal.)

Huu l-lllll ll THF. mums PETERS co. PHOTOLYTHOY. WASHINGTQN. g c,

Patented Nov. 7, I899.

s.-|.=.. LOUDEN. DEVICE FOR HOLDING LAWN MOWER GUTTERS FOR SHARPENING.

(Application filed. July 29, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORI WITN ESSES ms NORRIS vzrzns coy. Puma-Limo, wAsmNGTom n. c

' UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

SAMUEL E. LOUDEN, OF RIVERSIDE, CONNECTICUT.

. DEVICE FOR HOLDING LAWN-MOWER CUTTERS FOR SHARPENING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 636,540, dated November'7, 1899. Application filed July 29, 1899. Serial No. 725,518. (Nomodel.)

a device for holding lawn-mower cutters for sharpening, which may beused as an attachment for an ordinary lathe,the grin din g-wheel beingheld by the lathe-centers, or may be placed upon any suitable table orbench and used in connection with an ordinary grindingwheel, the deviceas a whole being simple and inexpensive to produce, easy to manipulate,durable, and practically impossible to get out of repair, adapted toreceive all sizes and styles of lawn-mower cutters, and accurate in use,so that the cutting edges are at all times retained in proper relationto the grinding wheel, thereby eifecting a great saving of time.

With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel lawn-mowercutter-holding device of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings,

is a specification, reference characters being used to indicate theseveral parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the use 01":- my novel holdingdevice in connection with an ordinary lathe, a portion only of the bedand the centers of the lathe appearing in the drawings, the revolublecutter-holder appearing in dotted lines; Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, asimilar view, certain of the parts being removedin order to show more clearly the mannerin which the cutters are held upto the grinding-wheel as the carriage is reciprocated; Fig. 4, a planview corresponding substantially with Fig. 1 and showing the manner inwhich the stationary straight cutter is held while being sharp- I ened;Fig. 5, an enlarged detail plan View,

an arm being in section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2; Fig. '6, a section onthe line 6 6 in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on theline 7 7 in Fig. 4:, illustrating the manner in which the straightstationary cutter is sharpened. .A denotes the bed or frame of a lathe;B

lathe-centers; C, a grinding-wheel, and D the revoluble cutter-holder ofa lawn-mower.

My novel cutter-holder comprises, essentially, a frame E, adapted forattachment in any suitable position for use-as, for example, to the bedof a lathe-and F a sliding carriage adapted to be moved freely thereonby hand. The special design or construction of either frame or carriageis not of the essence of my invention, but may be varied to an almostunlimited extent to adapt the device for use under different conditions.It is deemed sufficient for the purposes of this specification toillustrate the application of my invention to a lathe, the centers B ofthe lathe being utilized to carry the grinding-wheel, which is fixed toa shaft G.

In the drawings I have shown the frame E of my novel cutter-holder asconsisting of longitudinal strips 10, cross-pieces 11, and an arm 12,which extends outward and upward from the frame and to which thecutter-guide 13 is adjustably secured. I have shown the frame as securedto the bed of the lathe by means of plates 14, which engage the underside of longitudinal bars 15, which comprise a portion of bed or frameA. (See Fig. 2.) Bolts 16 extend upward through plates 11 andcross-pieces 11 and between longitudinal bars 15 and are engaged bythumb-nuts 17, thus providing for the quick and convenient attachment ofmy novel cutter-holder to a lathe or its removal therefrom. I have shownthe sliding carriage as consisting of two crosspieces 18, which rest andslide freely upon longitudinal strips 10 and are connected by anadjustable tie-bar H. This tie-bar consists of a tubular part 19, a part20, adapted to slide within part 19, a set-screw 21 for look-- ing thetwo parts together, and U-shaped arms 22, by which parts 19 and 20 areconnected to cross-pieces 18. The construction of cross-pieces 18 andthe manner in which they are held in position upon longitudinal strips10 of frame E are clearly illustrated in Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7. Thestrips 10 are provided with undercut ways 23, which are engaged by thecorrespondingly-shaped ends of blocks 24, which lie between strips 10and under cross-pieces 18. These cross-pieces are providedwith slots 25,which are engaged by lugs 26 upon the blocks, and with a central slot27, through which a bolt 28 passes. This bolt is cast into or otherwisemade solid with the block 24 and has at its upper end athumbnut29,whereby the parts are locked together. It will be readily understoodfrom Figs. 4 and 5 that by loosening the two thumb-nuts 29 the slidingcarriage may be moved laterally relatively to the strips 10 andlongitudinally relatively to blocks 24, thus enabling me to adjust thecutters toward or from the grindin g-wheel, as may be required in use,the lugs 26 serving as guides for the cross-pieces and insuring freemovement in either direction.

30 denotes arms which extend upward from cross-pieces 1S and areprovided with rests 31 to receive the shaft 32 of revoluble cutterholderD.

33 denotes slides adapted to move vertically on arms 30 and providedwith oval eyes 34, the long diameter of the eyes being vertical and thesmallest end upward, so that by vertical movement of the slide any shaftthat will pass through the eyes may be retained securely in position inrests 31. I have shown the slides as retained in position by thumbnuts35, (see Fig. 2,) engaging bolts 36, which extend from arms 30 and passthrough slots 37 in the slides.

38 (see Fig. 4) denotes the straight stationary cutter, and 39 thespiral cutters, which are carried by revoluble cutter-holder D.

I have shown the cutter-guide 13 as adjustably secured to arm 12 offrame E by means of a thumb-nut 40 engaging a bolt 41, which extendsrigidly from the arm and passes through a slot 42 in the guide.

The operation will be readily understood from the drawings. Supposethatit is desired to sharpen the spiral cutters upon the revolublecutter-holder B of a lawn-mower. The shaft of cutter-holder B is placedin rests 31,

the cross-pieces 18 of carriage F being moved toward or from each other,if necessary, and then looked in position by tightening setscrew 21.Shaft 32 is retained in position in the rests by adjustment of slides33, the ends of the shaft lying in the oval eyes in said slides. Thecutters are placed in proper position relative-to the grinding-wheel, incase change of adjustment is required, by loosening thumb-nuts 29 andmoving the carriage, with the cutter-holder thereon, toward or from thegrinding-wheel. Having placed the carriage in proper position and lockedit there by tightening thumb-nuts 29, cutter-guide 13 may be placed inengagement with one of the spiral cutters 39 on revoluble cutter-holderD, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and locked there by tightening thumb-nut40, as will be readily understood from Fig. 3 in connection with Fig. 4.Having adj ustcd the revoluble cutter-holder and secured it in place,the cutters thereon may be sharpened very quickly. Asuitablegrinding-wheel is caused to rotate, and the carriage is movedlongitudinally on frame E by hand. The action of cutter-guide 13 is tocause cutter-holder D to rotate as the carriage is moved along theframe, the amount of rotary motion corresponding to the pitch of thespiral of the cutters, so that all portions of the cutting edge of eachcutter will be held up to the grinding-Wheel and ground uniformly, andthe several cutters upon each revoluble holder will be ground exactlyalike, a single forward movement only of the carriage being required foreach cutter. Having completed a forward movement, the carriage is movedbackward until the cutter that has been operated upon has run off thegrind ing-wheel, and the holder is then given a partial rotation, so asto place another cutter in position to be operated upon, when theoperation is repeated as before, the cutter-guide requiring noadjustment after being set the first time.

In order to provide'a convenient means for sharpening the straightstationary cutter 38, I provide upon the cross-pieces 18 standards 43,to which cutter carriers 44 are adjustably secured, each carrier beingprovided with a slot to receive the cutter and a set-screw 45, by whichthe cutter is held in the slot. The carriers are provided with bolts 46,rigidly secured thereto and which pass freely through the standards.After adjusting the cutter in proper position relatively to thegrindingwheel the carriers are locked in position by tighteningthumb-nuts 47 on the bolts.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the characterdescribed com prising a frame, an adjustable guide 13 carried therebyand a sliding carriage F, said carriage consisting oflaterallyadjustable cross-pieces and an adjustable tie-bar between thecross-pieces and each cross-piece carrying an arm having means forretaining the shaft of a lawn-mower revoluble cutter-holder.

2. In a device of the character described the combination with a slidingcarriage having arms provided with means for retaining the shaft of alawn-mower revoluble cutterholder, of a frame consisting of longitudinalstrips 10 and cross-pieces 11, said cross-pieces carrying plates 14, andbolts and thumb-nutswhereby the frame may be attached to the bed of alathe and an adjustable cutter-guide,

13 carried by the frame.

3. The combination with a frame as E, of a carriage F adapted to slidethereon, said carriage comprising laterally-adjustable crosspieces 18,and means for adj ustably connectin g said cross-pieces and eachcross-piece carrying an arm adapted to retain the shaft of a lawn-mowerrevoluble cutter-holder.

4. The combination with a frame consisting of longitudinal strips 10 andcross-pieces 11, of a carriage consisting of laterally-adj ustablecross-pieces 18 having slots 25 and 27, blocks 24 having lugs engagingslots 25,. a bolt extending upward through slot 27 and a thumbnut 29engaging said bolt, each of said crosspieces having an arm provided withmeans for holding the shaft of a lawn-mower revoluble cutter-holder.

5. In a device of the character described the combination with a frame,of a carriage c0mcross-pieces on said carriage and means for securingthe straight, stationary cutter and the revoluble cutter-holder of alawn-mower upon said cross-pieces while being sharpened. I5

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL- E. LOUDEN.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON.

